NuWave 30242 PIC Gold Precision Induction Cooktop with 10.5″ Fry Pan, Black

Today we’ll be reviewing the NuWave 30242 PIC Gold Precision Induction Cooktop with 10.5″ Fry Pan, Black We’ll be looking at what this induction single burner has in terms of features so that you can decide whether it is the right cooking hotplate for your situation.

We’ll also look at customer opinion to see how well they like it. This is a single induction cooktop with a frying pan included so you won’t need to worry about whether your pans will work as you will have one to start you off.

Check out the NuWave 30242 PIC Gold Precision Induction Cooktop with 10.5″ Fry Pan, Black

If you think you would prefer a standard electric burner read our review on Cusimax 1500W Electric Countertop Burner

NuWave 30242 PIC Gold Review

If you’re looking for a portable induction cooktop to take on holiday because you won’t have cooking facilities or you are a student living away from home and you need something that you can use in your room that doesn’t take up too much space, or maybe you just need an extra burner for your home that you can use when you have guests and you do more cooking an induction cooktop like the NuWave 30242 could be just what you’re looking for.

Features of the NuWave 30242 PIC Gold

• Uses up to 70% less energy than a conventional oven
• 52 temperature settings from 100 Degree to 575 DegreeF in 10 Degree increments
• 6 pre-programmed temperature settings
• Delay and Sear functions
• 1 hour default setting/Auto-off

When you use the NuWave 30242 PIC Gold one of the benefits you get is the energy saving, it uses 70% less energy. So how does it do that? If you don’t know how induction works it’s different than your standard cooker whether that is gas or electric. Induction uses a magnetic field which is created within the unit, when it has metal (your pan) which is magnetic placed in the field it creates a reaction which heats up the metal pan and it can do it very quickly. The heat from the standard cooker heats thermally through the base of the pan but the heat also escapes around the sides escaping into the room and wasting energy.

The neat thing about an induction burner is that all around the pan you are heating is doesn’t get hot, there are no flames and no direct heat source so although the pan will get hot while it is cooking the unit itself won’t. This makes it very safe to cook with and easy to clean up as things don’t burn onto it. You could even place a piece of paper on the ceramic top between the cooker and the pan and the pan will still heat up the food without burning the paper.

This little cooker has 6 pre-programmed temperature settings, like what you might use on a conventional cooker low, med low, medium, med high, high and max sear. These setting have a set temperature which can be adjusted if you wanted to by the +/- buttons, but if you wanted to cook a steak and it said to sear it on a high heat, you probably guess at what a high heat is and just use what you believe is right but with this NuWave Pic Gold you just press the sear button and the temperature will be exactly right at 575F and it will stay right for as long as you need until you want to turn it down to the correct temperature to finish cooking your steak at 375F which is the med high setting.

Find out more about the NuWave 30242 

This unit also has a programming function so if you know the timings of cooking certain things like rice for example you can program it to follow certain cooking steps like boil and simmer for set times then let it cook away and know it will turn itself off when it is finished.

One thing that puts people off buying an induction cooktop is the fact that it only works with certain cookware. This cooker comes with a 10.5 inch frying pan which is specifically designed to use with an induction cooker so you know you can try out your hotplate as soon as it arrives.

When it comes to knowing if your pans that you already have will work on the induction plate you just need to remember that your fridge magnet is your friend, if it holds onto the bottom of you pan with the magnet then your pan should work on the burner. You can take your fridge magnet with you if you want to buy cookware so you can test it there and then.

NuWave have other cookware that you can buy from them to work with your hotplate including a cast iron grill with a drip tray so you can turn it into a mini grill to use inside for your steaks, sausages and burgers or you can use it outside if you have access to an electric outlet. On this grill it’s easy to get it to a set temperature and keep it there when you’re grilling your food.

Customer Opinion

Most customers can’t say enough good things about this cooktop. They want to use it all the time.

Buyers think this cooktop works just as advertised, heats very fast without filling your kitchen with heat.

This is an awesome unit for a small apartment and the fact it comes with a pan is an added bonus.

The negatives have been item arriving and not working, some people don’t like the fact you can’t use all pans with it, one customer had problems with the temperature staying stable.

Verdict

No matter where you want to use your NuWave 30242 you know that you can cook safely and quickly getting great food every time. If you want to buy one of these cookers for your son or daughter going to college you will know that it is easy for them to use and safe, cool to the touch and it also comes with recipes with easy instructions including the recommended setting so that they have somewhere to start with cooking. It’s not the cheapest countertop burner but there are enough benefits to persuade you to consider it.

Buy the NuWave 30242 PIC Gold Precision Induction Cooktop with 10.5″ Fry Pan, Black at Amazon.com.